Is Late Night Television a Political Tool?

By Kimberly Golden on February 11, 2016

Bernie Sanders’ guest appearance on SNL over the weekend continues a trend of political candidates showing up on late night shows — whether it be The Tonight Show to seem more likable, the Late Show to seem more credible, or SNL to seem more fun.

source: SNL, New York Times

Does this actually work though? 

Jon Macks, who wrote for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, argues in his book “Monologue” that it does, sighting what he called “the Colbert Effect.”

Back when Stephen Colbert was still on Comedy Central, politicians who came on The Colbert Report could almost guarantee seeing at least a four percent increase in their polling numbers, regardless of how well the segment went. Suggesting that these guest slots on late night shows can really help to improve a candidate’s image, this theory is certainly being put to the test in the various campaigns for the White House in 2016.

Trump Hosts SNL

When it was announced that Donald Trump would be hosting SNL in October, the news was not well received. Not only would it give Trump hours more screen time on national TV than his many opponents in the GOP, it was also seen as a sign that NBC was supporting the candidate, who at this time was continuing to make waves with controversial statements about immigration.

Eventually, NBC promised to give equal screen time to Trumps’ competitors, but it didn’t really end up mattering. After severe backlash from fans that were against Trump hosting, and rumors that audience members were being paid to heckle him during the broadcast, the show went off with relatively no buzz. The cast didn’t appear to be all that into it, and the sketches were not that memorable. The best moments of the night were a somewhat awkward “Hotline Bling” spoof, and when Larry David joined Trump during the monologue.

And speaking of Larry David …

The comedian’s portrayal of Bernie Sanders has been hugely popular since he first appeared as Vermont Senator and presidential candidate in an SNL cold open about one of the first Democratic Debates — and it likely led to David hosting with Bernie as the surprise guest on February 7.

A skit during the broadcast called “Bern Your Enthusiasm” starred Larry David as Bernie Sanders, which plants a very Larry David-like version of Sanders on the campaign trail with hilarious results. Later, during a sketch where Larry is on a sinking ship, Bernie Sanders made his much-hyped appearance.

In the sketch, Larry David tries to bribe his way onto a lifeboat that was designated for women and children by using his status as a wealthy upper-class individual.  Sanders emerges at this point to complain about the one percent always getting preferential treatment. It ends when the captain realizes they crashed into the Statue of Liberty, and they can all get off the boat, with Sanders and David contemplating sharing a cab.

Hilary and Jeb on Late Night 

Hilary Clinton, impersonated often on SNL by Amy Poehler and more recently Kate McKibbon, has also been less than a stranger on late night programming. She was on Jimmy Fallon’s show in September, where she did a skit about a phone call between her and “Trump” played by Fallon. Then in November, she was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where she claimed she could beat her husband in an election.

Likewise, Jeb Bush made an appearance on The Tonight Show early into the campaign, and was one of the firsts guests on Colbert’s Late Show. While a guest of Jimmy Fallon’s he was asked why young people should vote for him, and he responded by saying he wanted to take steps to ensure they could be more confident about the job market they would soon be entering into — a well received answer.

On the Late Show, Colbert gave Jeb some Trump-inspired talking points ending with the candidate saying “turn down for what?” and Colbert calling him President Jeb Bush.

So, some of their performances fall short of expectation; is the “Colbert Effect” really a thing? 

It must be, as politicians continue to book appearances on these programs. Does slow jamming with Jimmy Fallon or making a “Hotline Bling” video on SNL prove any of the candidates to be better suited for the job? No, not really. But when these visits are done correctly, political guests can get a huge boost of popularity.

Being a late night guest is also different from being interviewed by CNN or called out in a debate. The audience expects you to state your case, but also to show them a lighter side of yourself. Its not hard to have a good sound bite, but it can be very hard to be funny. Those candidates that succeed in having a well received late night visit tend to have a video trending the next day online, and it is always useful to have potential voters laughing with you rather than laughing at you.

And further, President Obama and Michelle Obama have been making waves on television since entering the White House. They’ve been guests on The Tonight Show, on Ellen, Michelle appeared in an episode of Parks and Recreation – not to mention there is a movie coming out soon about the couples’ first date.

Now more than ever, the president and his wife are celebrities, and whoever is going to fill those shoes in 2016 will likely experience the same fame — they won’t just have to be respected, they have to be liked. Before the final polls close in November, expect to see more candidates on television after 11:30.

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